


Joy Ride

by cattlaydee



Series: Legacy [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 02:21:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5610313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cattlaydee/pseuds/cattlaydee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn has been given basic training with an X-Wing. Poe and Rey decided it's time to have a bit of fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Joy Ride

**Author's Note:**

> because not all of my fics can be angst ridden drama fests (spoiler alert, the next one or two in this series will be). my attempt at lightheartedness and maybe humor? idk how it will read...

Years later, when recalling the following incident over drinks with family and friends, Finn would swear up and down it was totally, 100% not his idea. That he was peer pressured because he was new, and that he was absolutely against breaking any sort of Alliance regulations (which they totally did, by the way).

Strong-armed would be a little hyperbolic.

"Why are you even asking me that, of COURSE I want to go flying with you and Poe!!" 

Rey shrugged, walking in front of him toward the mess hall for breakfast. "Well, I mean, it's not exactly allowed and I know you get a little nervous when it comes to breaking rules around the General..."

He frowned. "Are you saying I'm not fun? That I don't take risks? Because I TOTALLY take risks..."

"Oi, you are ridiculous!" Rey half sighed, half growled and rolled her eyes. "I didn't say anything of the sort, just go grab a helmet and meet us in hanger 5. It's the most remote, we'll be able to get out and back without anyone questioning anything crazy."

When he arrived at the hangar, Poe had three jets with the cockpit's open, humming with life as they warmed up. When he saw Finn, his face split into a giant grin and he clapped the man on the shoulder.

"Hey buddy, you ready for some target practice?"

"Hell yeah!" He swallowed hard, looking around to see if Rey had appeared yet. "Say, how much trouble do you think we'd actually get in if we get caught? Estimation."

Poe's expression changed to one of a knowing smile. "Getting cold feet?"

"No! I just...like to know what i'd be in for."

"Don't worry about it, it'll be fine." Rey came up from behind them, the hint of laughter in her voice. "Besides, this is some real time practice with the best pilot in the entire resistance." Her tone was teasing as she looked over at Poe. "Why would we get in trouble?"

"I wasn't _worried_." He insisted. And he wasn't, truly; even though he could see they'd be in for a whole host of trouble if they _were_ discovered, he could hardly imagine the General ordering anything close to what the First Order would in the same situation.

He shivered at the thought, despite the warmth of the day.

The last few months had been tense at the base. Between Rey actually returning with the wayward Jedi Master and beginning her training, Finn rehabilitating after the battle at Starkiller base and Poe organizing runs against the Order, they had very precious little moments of time to enjoy themselves. The craziness, however, had led to a strong friendship between the trio, filled with banter and camaraderie.

Rey smiled as she watched the boys suit up in the training gear. Maz had been right about the belonging being in front of her. She could hardly believe it was not so long ago that she had been so alone.

"Are you coming, or are _you_ getting cold feet?" Finn tossed down at her, pulling himself up onto the stepladder as he loaded into the X-Wing. The training droid behind the cockpit whistled at him and he laughed. "She knows I'm joking."

She rolled her eyes and deftly climbed into her own ship, taking only a quick leap. Finn shook his head at her.

"Show off."

"It's part of my training to hone my skills." She explained innocently, but the grin on her face indicated otherwise.

"Okay, _kids_." Poe interrupted, looking over at them from the right side. "Ground rules. Finn, stay between us. If at anytime you feel like you're not sure what you're doing, make sure you communicate it, we don't need anyone getting hurt. This will be a basic training run to the Diamante Valley a few miles away. We send a lot of first timers that way. There's a rodent infestation that allows for excellent target practice." He grinned. "You think you can handle this?"

"Totally. One hundred percent." His heart raced and his mind buzzed with excitement. He had always been destined to remain in the sanitation track his entire life, never to step foot near a control panel on a ship and now he was flying a X-Wing fighter with two of the most adept fighters of the Alliance.

Life was wild.

Once their cockpits slid closed, the X-Wings lifted off the ground and floated in mid-air.

"You first, Finn. We're right behind you, I just want to see how you handle her."

This wasn't the first time he had been behind the controls of an X-Wing, but it would for sure be the first time he flew any substantial sort of distance. The ship jerked forward at first, a few times, and he sputtered an apology, an explanation, his heart racing...

"Breathe, Finn," Rey's voice came through the headset now, calm and assured. "You've been training for a couple of months now, and we're here. We wouldn't be doing this if you couldn't do it. We're not going to leave you."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A calm overtook him and when he opened his eyes, he was gliding forward and picking up speed. 

"There you go! A natural!" Poe's voice came in clear in his ear and he laughed at it. They shot up into the air, climbing in altitude and Poe pulled just a bit forward, telling Finn he'd guide the way to the valley. Gliding along the bay was easy, and he took the opportunity to look around at the scenery as he zipped by the mountains and the trees and wondered how much more he had been missing, stuck on starships for all of his life. 

Was he from a place like this, originally? Or some place like Jakku? He wondered if he would ever know.

"Okay, pull up, over that ridge there. We're going in."

They climbed only a bit in altitude before sweeping down over the water of a small lake in valley surrounded by mountains and small hills that seemed to twinkle all around. 

"Okay, so. If you get close enough to the shoreline you'll see the animals scatter. We can't do too many, or else they'll never come back, but a few may be good for to learn what it's like outside of the simulation pods." Poe explained. "After, we'll land over there and eat before heading back. Sound good?"

Finn and Rey responded with soft affirmations as Finn banked to his right, drawing closer to the sand. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, his breathing labored as her grew nervous. From the corner of his eye, he saw two red blasts fire toward the shore, sending sand in every direction.

"Nice shot Rey!" Poe's voice rang through the headset with praise, drawing a grin from Finn as well. 

"Ease in, Finn. Let the jet glide. The trigger is on the stick, so just take a deep breath, aim and..."

The zing of the X-Wing firing interrupted her advisement and Finn gasped as he watched his shots hit the shore, scattering the giant rabbits that gathered there.

"OH WHOA!" Rey yelled with a laugh. "Would you look AT THAT!"

"There you go, kid!" Poe cheered, zooming around him, looking to the side and making eye contact with the younger pilot, who was glowing as he grinned at his friend.

He couldn't believe it! He flexed his hands around the yoke and felt a surge of confidence shoot up and down his spine, invigorating him. He accelerated, cutting a corner of the lake sharp and turning around, speeding up as he got low to the water. He swore he could hear Poe chuckle. 

They flew for another half hour, shooting at the shore and getting the feel for the controls before Poe suggested they stop for lunch. He guided Finn to land the fighter on a large plot of sand on the far side of the lake. This was as much for a break as it was to guide the younger man. He didn't need Finn's first time landing the jet to be so close to the base, in the slim event something went wrong.

The fighter wobbled side to side as Finn concentrated on getting it evenly placed and gently, slowly, lowered the jet to the ground, it's legs touching down safely.

He sprung from the cockpit, a huge grin on his face as his friends landed more adeptly on either side.

"Eh, we may make a rebel pilot out of you yet." Rey was teasing him, but her smile was good-natured. "Come on down, now, we have sandwiches."

They set up on blankets on the shore of the lake, enjoying the view of the rolling hills and peaks of small mountains. In between bites, Rey marveled at the sight, stones glittering within their walls as Poe explained that it was from the suns reflection of stones buried within them, causing it to shine. Finn remarked that he had never seen such a thing.

Poe fixed them both curiously. "You both will be seeing much more of the galaxy now that you're with us. Greenery and beauty you could not imagine." His smile faded a bit, looking down at the sand. "Some worse than that too."

He was talking about death, Finn suspected. About friends being mortally wounded or maimed, of burning flesh and screams. If only he knew how much of _that_ Finn had already seen.

"My whole life I was stuck on that rock," Rey started softly. "Day in, day out, in and out of those skeletons, pulling in what I could. Nothing new, nothing unexpected. Sand and sun, and other scavengers fighting for a piece." She sounded almost bitter.

"Maz said I would belong somewhere to come." She looked up at them, and she was smiling gently, such genuine affection in her gaze. "5 months with the lot of you..." She shook her head. 

"We're on the way for a hell of a ride, aren't we?" Finn asked. 

"I'd say."

They packed up quickly after that. They had left when the suns were still low in the sky and it seemed almost midday, when most others would be away from the tarmac for lunch and other midday breaks. The idea would be to glide in quietly, parking the vehicles without anyone else seeing them come in. But they still had a little bit of flight time though, a fact which Poe was sure to remind Finn of with a wicked smile.

"I have a bad feeling about that look there on your face."

"Trust me." Poe insisted, still grinning.

And that was the afternoon, on the way back to the base, that Finn learned, not so intentionally, how to do a barrel roll. 

\---------

"Oh my GOD...!"

"That was amazing!!"

"Did you SEE...!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat cut through the excited chatter and they turned to see the General, arms crossed and a scowl on her face, staring at the trio. They immediately still, eyes wide and expressions contrite.

Some distance behind her, Luke stood, arms crossed, attempting to look stern, but Rey could see amusement dancing in his eyes. His lips twitched as he attempted to keep a smile from making it's way onto his face.

"Commander Dameron. Who gave you authorization to take out three of our recently commissioned fighters? Were you running exercises?"

"Well, it was sort of an exercise..."

"Sort of? Sort of??" Her eyes narrowed. "From what I understand, Commander, Finn here has not quite been cleared by executive personnel for active duty as a pilot. Am I mistaken?"

"No, ma'am."

"So whose idea was it to take out some of our finest machine's out for a joy ride?"

"Mine, General."

"I asked them, General."

"It's all my fault, ma'am."

The three of them answered at the same time, talking over each other, and the three exchanged sheepish looks before bowing their heads. She stared at them silently for a few moments.

"Well. Rey, you're not exactly someone who falls under the Alliance jurisdiction, so I'll allow Master Skywalker to deal with you. As for you two," She focused on the two young men on either side of the young padawan. "The matter will be discussed _at length_ and appropriate punitive action will be assigned."

She turned on her heel, stalking back toward the command center, glaring at her brother as she walked by.

"And don't you encourage them."

"I didn't say anything!"

"You were thinking it."

Finn was put on probation for an additional month before he took his final flight test and was approved for flight duty, Poe was assigned to clean the 3 ships to spotless condition (a much more arduous task than it sounded) and Rey pretty much got a stern talking to.

When they looked back on it years later, they maintained, when not within earshot of the General, that it had been completely and totally worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> I just really want episode 8 to be part buddy comedy with these 3. The rodent thing was an homage to womp rats from ANH, I hope no one is offended. I don't advocate wanton violence against animals.


End file.
